Jay foster seaman



(No Model.) v I g u 2 Sh-eetsf-Sheet l.

J. 1E'. BEAMAN. l 'GAME BOARD.

No.1529,582`. Patented Nov.l20, 1894.

muli" Milli" Wllml illllll PWM Eulllllln FHIHIIN li I l! Mill IIII l L A TTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 1

J. F. BEAMAN. GAME BOARD.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NO. 529,582.. Patented Nov'. 20, 1894.

RM a

ff 3o Xg? www @M @JL A TTOHNE YS.

z nonms Perlas to. Primo-uma.. wnsumcrou. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY FOSTER BEAMAN, OF ANTVERP, YNEW YORK.

GAM E-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 529,582, dated November 20, 1894.

Application filed March 7, 1894. Serial Ilo. 502,653- (No model.)

To aZZ whom'. it may concern..-

Be it known that I, J AY FOSTER BEAMAN, of Antwerp, in the county of Jederson and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Game-Board, .of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention is an improvement in the class of checker or draught boards, and consists in an arrangement of substantially hexagonal playing blocks, or spaces, including blank triangular spaces between them, in such manner that the corners of the playing field, or surface, are similar or symmetrical, thus avoiding the double corner and rendering the well known parallel move in such corner impossible, so that a game cannot be made a draw, or tie, when each player is reduced to a single playing piece.

The details of form and arrangement of parts are as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

.Figure 1 is a.l plan view of the improved game board. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the board in aslightly modified form.` Fig. 3 is a plan view of a board showing a slightly different arrangement ofthe blocks or spaces.

Fig. 4 is a further modification of the board arranged for a number of players, six or less.

In the form of board shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the board is substantially rectangular in general contour, -andis provided with a number of hexagonal blocks or spaces 10, sepa` rated from one another by spaces l1, shaped substantially as an equilateral triangle. The hexagonal blocks are placed corner to corner in such manner as to include an equilateral triangle in the combination of three blocks, each intermediate block being surrounded by equilateral triangles, forming combinedly a six-pointed star gure, the triangular blocks or spaces being. in turn surrounded by the hexagonal blocks or figures l0. The hexagonal blocks or figures are of one color, or may be inlaid in a board ot' a dark material, for ex ample, while the triangular spaces or blocks 11 are of a different color from the hexagonal blocks and may be inlaid in the board, for example in a light material. Each of the hexagonal spaces may be numbered if desired, in which event the numbers will run consecutively row after row, commencing at a hexagonal block or space at one upper corner of the board and terminating with a hexagonal spaceor block at the diagonally opL posite corner of the opposite end ofthe board.

In the arrangement and number of the hex agonal blocks or spaces, the board shown in Figs. 1 and 2 differs slightly from the board shown in Fig. 3. Ineither form the blocks maybe read transversely or longitudinally of the board; that is to say the board shown in Fig. 3 may be placed in the' position of the board shown in Fig. 1 and the blocks read transversely. In all the forms the blocks or spaces are arranged in rows running in three directions.

In Figs. 1, 2 and l3 the blocks are' arranged in rows containing alternately four and tive consecutively numbered blocks or spaces. the board shown in Fig. 3 was turned and numbered transversely, the hexagonal blocks would be in rows containing alternately live and six consecutively numbered blocks each.

The game board shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is adapted to be used by two persons in playing the game.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a hexagonally shaped board in which the main characteristics of the board shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are preserved, but the rows of hexagonal blocks are so arranged as to admit of six or a less number of persons playingthe game, the central space, which is ordinarily shaped as a star being in some forms of the game a king space, or not used in playing.

IEv

As heretofore. stated the game is played very much in the same manner as checkers. The men employed are movedvto continuous hexagonal or circular blocks or spaces and jumpedasincheckersordraughts. The king rows are located at opposite ends of the board and include, as for example in Fig. 1, the blocks or spaces from l to 5 inclusive, and from 37 to 4:1 inclusive. A man has four moves under the rules of this game, and a king six. For example, a man'may be moved forward, diagonally to the right or to the left, or sidewise parallel to the narrow sides of the board either tothe right or to the left. A king may move inany direction to a continuous unoccupied circular or hexagonal roo block or space. The move parallel to the narrow side of the board is barred when the play-` ers are reduced to one man each. Fourteen white and fourteen black men or checkers are necessary to play the game. On the board shown in Fig. 1 the black men are placed on the blocks or spaces from 1 toli inclusive, and the white men are placed upon the blocks or spaces from 28 to 41 inclusive.

Vith reference to the game board shown in Fig. 2, the board is substantially that shown in Fig. 1, but is differently numbered to illustrate a different kind of game'. The king rows include the same numbers as in the form of board shown in Fig. 1, and the men are placed in the same way. A man` upon this board has three moves and a king six. A man may be forwardly moved, either straight or diagonally, and a king may move in any direction.

With reference to the board shown in Fig. 3, the men are placed from 1 to 13 and from 37 to 49, the moves being the same as upon the board shown in Fig. 2; or the board shown in Fig. 3 may be turned around and sixteen men placed in three ranks at each end, and the game is played as on the board shown in Fig. 1.

Tith reference to the board shown in Fig.

`4, as heretofore stated it may be made large enough for six players to gather around it, each player having the control of eleven men. Each set of men'is distinguished by color; therefore the men are in six colors. Each set of men is placed two ranks deep at the side of the board next the player. The players play in turn tothe left, and may play each man for himself, or partners, or three against three. Two, three or four persons may play upon this board. The men have two moves and the kings six. For instance a man may move forward, and diagonally, but the king may move in any direction. A man becomes a king upon reaching the center of the board, or the side of the boardopposite the side from which he started. The men jump as in the other forms of the game and as in checkers.

Havingv thus described my invention, I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent .l

1. The improved game board having rows of substantially hexagonal blocks or playing spaces and having substantially triangular blank spaces included between them and forming a connected series of playing spaces, as shown and described, the opposite corners of the playing field or surface being symmetrical or similar, as specified.

2. Agame-board havinga central six-pointed starspace, a series of rows of playing blocks or spaces arranged around it and including triangular blank spaces between them, which are also in rows, the arrangement of said playing spaces being symmetrical or similar at each corner of the playing' surface, as shown 65 and described.

JAY FOSTER BEAMAN. lWitnesses:

DAVID FOSTER PHILLIPS, W. DE WITT PHILLIPS. 

